Washington State Psychology Doctorate Programs

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Quick Facts
Washington PsyD Programs
Other Washington Doctorate Programs
Washington Psychologist Requirements
Washington Doctorate Salary Outlook

Quick Facts:

There are 13 schools located in the state of Washington that offer some form of an advanced degree program in the field of psychology.
Of those, the school with the highest tuition and fees is Seattle University at $54,285. The lowest tuition and fees belong to Eastern Washington University at $8,353.
The University of Washington, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University, and Northwest University all rank of US News and World Report’s 2022 list of best graduate psychology schools.
The University of Washington psychology department is its largest department and has faculty that are known for being recognized as pioneers in the field of psychology.
Of the 13 schools in Washington that offer graduate psychology programs, Gonzaga University, Seattle University, the University of Washington, and Washington State University all rank of the Princeton Review’s 2025 list of best colleges in the nation.

List of PsyD Degree Programs in Washington

The PsyD degree is a newer doctoral degree in the field of psychology. The focus of this doctoral degree is more on clinical psychology practice, while the Ph.D. is more centered on academia and research. The schools that offer PsyD programs in Washington are listed below, as well as programs that offer a Ph.D.

Antioch University – Seattle

The PsyD program at Antioch University Seattle provides high-quality doctoral education and training in clinical psychology so you are ready to practice in professional and health service psychology. You will be part of a small team of classmates in a positive learning environment that encourages collaboration and teamwork. Students are offered ample opportunities to develop their applied research, clinical, and assessment skills. There is an emphasis on social justice and multicultural competency. The program may be complete in five years on a full-time basis and is fully accredited by the APA.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Seattle
Annual tuition: $49,550
Degrees offered: PsyD in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Northwest University

Accredited by the APA since 2018, this 121-semester-credit program is designed to be completed in five years for students entering post-bachelor. It’s designed for aspiring counselors with day obligations, hence evening classes twice a week. Year five is an internship that consists of a minimum of 1,500 hours of clinical experience. Between 2014 and 2024, 71 students graduated from this program, and 54% became professionally licensed.

Institution type: Private
Main campus: Kirkland
Annual tuition: $35,875
Degrees offered: PsyD in Counseling Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Other Psychology Doctorates in Washington State

While many students obtain a PsyD in psychology, another option is to earn your Ph.D. in psychology with a grounding in psychological research. The universities below offer excellent Ph.D. in psychology programs in Washington state.

The University of Washington

The University of Washington offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that is built to achieve integration of scientific, academic, and professional training. The program is fully accredited by the APA and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. In the five-year, full-time program, students will develop a broad foundation and understanding of clinical psychology. The program is known to develop creative and competent clinical scientists who can function well in research, academic, clinical, community, and global dissemination environments. Students receive superior clinical training because the staff believes that excellent clinical researchers must be excellent clinicians, as well. The UW also offers an APA-accredited Ph.D. in School Psychology with entry tracks for students who possess a bachelor’s degree and those who possess a graduate degree.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Seattle
Annual tuition: Clinical: $17,394 in-state, $30,294 out-of-state; School (post-bachelor’s track): $32,472 in/out-of-state; School (post-master’s track): $20,050 in-state, $35,553 out-of-state
Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology, PhD in School Psychology
Accreditation: APA
Visit School: Clinical, School

Washington State University

Washington State University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that integrates research, theory, and clinical practice in the training of doctoral students. Each student is heavily involved in research every semester, and in clinical practica starting in the third semester until the 12-month internship begins. The goal of this APA-accredited program is to train competent and compassionate clinical psychologists, will obtain APA-accredited internships, and will make strong contributions to the clinical psychology field. Students have the option to choose an interest area in adult psychopathology, health psychology, clinical child and adolescent psychology, and neuropsychology.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Pullman
Annual tuition: $985 in/out-of-state after tuition remission is applied; Students also receive assistantships
Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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Seattle Pacific University

Seattle Pacific University offers a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology that features courses grounded in empirical literature that study the interplay of psychological, biological, and social factors as they relate to human behavior. It is a five-year, full-time doctoral program with 195 credit hours that is accredited by the American Psychological Association. It provides each student with a unique biopsychosocial perspective that will assist them in working with patients in the future. It is a program dedicated to holistic diversity as it addresses both group and individual differences, as well as the implications of diversity for the effective and ethical practice of psychology.

Institution type: Public
Main campus: Seattle
Annual tuition: $32,688; $899 per credit hour
Degrees offered: PhD in Clinical Psychology
Accreditation: APA
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How to Become a Practicing Clinical Psychologist in Washington

To obtain your license to practice in the state of Washington, the first step in the process is to get the right education. You will want to start with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. This portion will most likely take you four years to complete the 120 credit hours needed to achieve the degree if attending full-time.

Once you have completed your bachelor’s degree, you may consider achieving your master’s degree before applying for your doctorate program. It can slightly increase your chances of acceptance, and if not completed beforehand, it will be included in your doctorate program. Most programs take one to two years to complete.

You will also have to secure a PsyD or Ph.D. in psychology from an accredited college or university. Your doctorate program will typically take between four and seven years to complete depending on whether or, not you have secured your master’s before starting. Each program will have a different number of credit hours required.

Once you have successfully completed your degree program, there are a few more steps to complete to achieve your license.

To get your license from the state, you will need to complete at least two years or 3,900 hours of supervised experience. These hours will need to include time working with patients as well as administrative tasks that are related to clinical work. You will have to complete at least 300 hours during your doctoral program and 1,500 from your pre-doctoral internship. The balance of the hours should come from additional practicum hours.
After completing your hours, it is time to submit your application for review by the Board. For the state of Washington, you will need to complete both an online component and a Licensure by Examination Application Packet. These should be accompanied by a $206 application fee. Your application can also be submitted through the Psychology Licensure Universal System though it requires a $200 fee in addition to the application fee.
The final step to qualify to receive your license is completing and passing the Washington psychology licensing exams. The first exam is the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology which is a national multiple choice exam that costs $687.50 to take and requires a score of 500 or more to pass. After successful completion of the EPPP, you will need to take Washington’s jurisprudence exam, which is a 25 question test on the laws and regulations of practicing psychology in the state. You will complete the test online. It is open book and requires a score of 90% to pass.

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Washington’s Clinical Psychologist Salary and Job Outlook

The average salary for a practicing clinical or counseling psychologist in the state of Washington is $108,650, placing it well above the state’s general average salary of $78,130, as reported by the Bureau of Labors Statistics. Among the top 10%, the bracket that PsyD-prepared psychologists typically land in, salaries for Washington’s counseling and clinical psychologist starts at $142,140.

2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures shown here for Psychologists. Job growth projections are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed December 2024.